OEM timingchain and gears???

[wagonman]

My 85 has what seems to be the original engine.Question is did the factory use a steel cam gear or the POS gear with the plastic teeth,run quiet fall apart unit???

 

[Droppedgmc]

steel gears

 

[89Suburban]

I think that plastic gear crap is a Dodge thang.

 

[HotRodPC]

GM also used that plastic coated over steel gear **** too. I don't know about the 85's but most trucks got steel gears if I recall, and passenger cars got the plastic. Either way, you'll replace it with steel, and maybe even a double roller kit. You think your's is going???

 

[89Suburban]

GM also used that plastic coated over steel gear **** too. I don't know about the 85's but most trucks got steel gears if I recall, and passenger cars got the plastic. Either way, you'll replace it with steel, and maybe even a double roller kit. You think your's is going???

 

[bucket]

Most cars got steel also. I do believe big blocks got the nylon toothed cam sprocket though, not sure of the years though. IIRC, the '91 454 I have on the engine stand has the nylon.

 

[HotRodPC]

Then, I'm not sure what decided if they got steel or coated, but I know I've seen them in small blocks several times. GM been using them for years and years. My Olds 425 and 455 even had coated cam gears that I opened up recently. The cool thing about that is, if you see one on an engine, you can pretty much make the claim its a virgin motor and never been rebuilt before.

 

[davbell22602]

If your replacing your timing chain and gears. Get double roller set. If the timing parts have like brownish color to them then there plastic coated. The all metal sets will look like a grayish color.

 

[towman]

i know gm used the nylon coated gears into at least the mid 70's but not sure when they went away on the v8

 

[HotRodPC]

I'm not sure either, but you're right,they are actually nylon coated rather than plastic.

 

[89Suburban]

Plastic gears suck!

 

[towman]

then they put nylon gears in some of the 4 cylinders wich they pressed them om they sucked to change, on the 3.8 the early ones had nylon cam gears and sometimes if you put steel on them the knock sensor would detect the little extra noise and make them run like ****, gotta love working on cars

 

[89Suburban]

then they put nylon gears in some of the 4 cylinders wich they pressed them om they sucked to change, on the 3.8 the early ones had nylon cam gears and sometimes if you put steel on them the knock sensor would detect the little extra noise and make them run like ****, gotta love working on cars

Wow.

 

[wagonman]

Truck runs well was just curious.Had them on my 70 383 charger OEM and thank God I replaced them before a 1000 mile round trip to Vegas couple 10 years ago.Plastic peices everywhere and little chunks getting sucked up into oil pump.Snaped the original oil driveshaft.Pulled pan and cleaned it all up went with double roller and advanced it 2 degrees.Man what a differance a new gear set made in power.Must have been retarding cam timing.Thinking about going the same route with the square and a cam change also.Nothing to wild just something for more low end torque and mileage.Did The factory use a retarded gear set like on 460 fords for better emissions???

 

[HotRodPC]

If I recall, GM always did straight up on timing. They just had their cams ground and built the advance or retard into the grind to the best of my knowledge. So in sorts, yes they did play with retarding and advancing, but, we'd never know it since we're supposed to simply install them straight up, or dot to dot if you will.